


The New Friend

by kunemoo



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Gen, He's a bit of a tsun tsun in this, Platonic Relationships, Scout learns how to take care of an animal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-17 09:48:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15458682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kunemoo/pseuds/kunemoo
Summary: Scout needs help after he finds something VERY out of place. He goes to his friend and the only person he knows with legitimate animal experience.





	The New Friend

Scout ran out of base as quietly but quickly as possible, hoping Sniper was awake this late.

 

It was only nine at night, and the marksman _did_ say that he was a night owl on their days off. Maybe his luck turned around, since tomorrow was a day off.

 

Then again, today's rounds were... tiring, to say the least. They successfully snatched the Intelligence from BLU, but Scout heard Sniper grumble about getting backstabbed more than twice.

 

Whenever they hung out in the base or in the camper, the Australian often dozed off in some odd place other than a bed, though he never truly fell asleep. Scout learned it was a sign that the marksman had a rough battle. Thus, Sniper usually slept earlier on tough days, like today.

 

But Scout really, _really_ needed his help tonight, and pleaded to any force listening that the marksman was somehow awake. Even then, he figured he _could_ try and wake him up himself. They were good friends, after all.

 

The runner shook his head when he neared the door. He might as well try his first and best option, no matter how late it was. Taking deeper breaths, Scout knocked on the camper door, lighting up when he saw that the lights were on.

 

Scout beamed when Sniper opened the door, the marksman raising a confused eyebrow. Oh, _thank God._

 

“Scout? Thought you were an early bird... Everythin' okay, mate?”

 

“Yeah- Actually, no. Sorta. That's why I'm here,” Scout gave Sniper a crooked smile, picking at the grip tape on his hands, “I kinda.... look. Ya see, I found this weird... I dunno... rat lookin' thing right outside of base.”

 

Sniper leaned on the door frame, “Rat?”

 

“Yeah, but the thing is that the lil' guy didn't have a bald tail. It's fluffy, but I don't really know what it'd be... Squirrel, or somethin'...?”

 

Sniper's brow furrowed, “How big is it?”

 

“'Bout this big,” Scout held his pointer fingers around four inches apart from each other, “Now I know what ya said about animals bein' in the wild, but Snipes, I swear I tried. There weren't any trees or nothin' nearby the lil' guy could've come from, and I spent some time lookin' for _anythin'_. I even remembered what ya told me to do.”

 

That earned him raised brows from Sniper. Good. The marksman knew of Scout's tendency to rush through things, so him being thorough for once was serious business.

 

Not that Sniper didn't take him seriously otherwise. It's only that his reputation for being diligent was, well... not the best.

 

The marksman hummed for a bit before speaking.

 

“No trees, huh?”

 

“Nope.”

 

“Did ya leave it alone for two hours?”

 

The runner nodded, “She didn't come. I was watchin'.”

 

“Put it in a box and put it in outside for the mum?”

 

“Yep. Py got blankets and Hardhat had an extra shoe box lyin' around,” Scout put a hand on his hip, “ _And_ I kept an eye on it. No ma, nothin' missin' from the box. Just a squirrel-rat thing. I found it at, what... noon today? And I waited 'til sunset.”

 

Sniper raised his eyebrows, allowing a rare, genuine grin to cross his face, “So you _were_ listenin' t' me ramble.”

 

“C'mon Snipes, throw me a bone,” Scout pouted and crossed his arms, “Since _when_ have I ever sat and did nothin' for two hours before?”

 

“Never, as far as I know.”

 

“Exactly,” Scout then scratched the back of his neck, averting his eyes, “Look, I don't want the little guy to die, we got no one to call out here, and I don't know how to feed it. I...”

 

“Ya need my help.”

 

Scout blinked, tilting his head a bit. Were they really close enough to finish each other's sentences? He didn't think the marksman knew him well enough, or wanted to get that close to anyone. Regardless, it caused Scout to grin a bit wider in spite of the current trouble he was in.

 

“Please,” he replied, sheepishly, “Ya know I never had a pet a day in my life. We both know that _you_ , however, are literally Snow White. You're better than me at only two things, and animal care's one of 'em.”

 

Sniper snorted, “Gee, thanks.”

 

The marksman closed the camper door behind him, jogging to try keep up with Scout to his room on base. Scout relented and slowed down a bit for Sniper's sake. They had to eventually slow down to a slow walk when approaching the hallway to everyone's rooms, much to Sniper's bewilderment. The runner nearly forgot that he wasn't on base _nearly_ as much as him and the other seven.

 

So, he did what any good friend would, and filled him in.

 

In the runner's words, Soldier was a “freakin' nightmare” when woken up suddenly. Scout still remembered nearly getting a heart attack when he felt the clashing of a pan on any hard surface. His pulse only calmed down after breakfast... which was 2 hours later.

 

Sniper chuckled at that, not putting it past Solly to be so eager for a fight. Attacking an old mannequin was one fine example.

 

Scout grinned. So Sniper really _did_ listen to some of the stories he told him.

 

While whispering through the hallway, Sniper was speculating that the little critter was probably a baby squirrel. And a mobile one, at that. Scout blinked, looking back and raising a brow.

 

“What's that gotta do with anythin'?”

 

“Roo, we gotta make sure the lil' anklebiter didn't get out of your box. Squirrels climb for a livin', don't they?”

 

Scout's stomach dropped slightly, putting his palm to his forehead, “ _Shit..._ We gotta be careful then, huh?”

 

The marksman nodded, walking so quietly that even the floorboards didn't even creak. Scout quietly gripped the doorknob and turned it open slower than usual, cracking the door and looking in. He hated slowing down, but the thought of stepping on a baby squirrel-rat was something he hated more.

 

“No sign of it on the floor....” he muttered, before slowly stepping inside, “I think I also heard somethin' 'bout squirrels sleepin' at night. They ain't notur- No, noctarn- Nah, that ain't sounding' right... Snipes, ya know animal words. Help me.

 

Sniper followed Scout at the same speed, looking down at the floor before closing the door itself, “Diurnal?”

 

“Nah.”

 

“Nocturnal?”

 

Scout looked back with a bright little grin, “Yeah, that one!”

 

“In case ya need to know in the future, diurnal is the opposite of nocturnal,” Sniper spoke in a low voice, studying Scout's room with an amused smile, “I think th' only ones that are nocturnal are flyin' squirrels.”

 

“Flyin' squirrels?”

 

“Sugar gliders, Scout.”

 

“Ah, those guys,” Scout walked towards his desk and peeked inside, letting out a sigh of relief.

 

Inside was the reddish brown, fluffy little rodent. It was rolled up into a warm ball close to the small, pastel bundle of blankets. Its eyes were closed, but Scout saw the steady rise and fall of its ribs. The squirrel-rat was just sleeping.

 

“Oh thank god... Snipes, wanna see the lil' guy? Looks like it's sound asleep.”

 

Sniper nodded with a calm, small smile, walking over and peering in, “Aw, what a right cute lil' fellow... Definitely a squirrel.”

 

“Huh...” Scout nodded, soon furrowing his brow, “I still don't know what to feed it, though... How old does it look?”

 

The marksman hummed in thought, the younger man noticing the cogs turning in his head. Though he'd never admit it, that was one of the things Scout admired about Sniper-- it seemed like he could do almost _anything_.

 

The Australian knew how to care for most animals, could shoot someone, hell, maybe even _throw_ something at someone and hit their head from miles away, and even knew pretty much everything there was to know about the stars.

 

Now here he was, knowing how old a squirrel was just by _looking_ at it. Un-freakin'-believable.

 

“Looks big enough for its eyes t' be open. I'd say four or five weeks,” Sniper muttered, his gaze moving across the room. Probably to rack more memories from that mind full of cool stuff. “Maybe five or six if it's movin' around more tomorrow mornin'.”

 

Scout nodded in response, crossing his arms, “Alright, alright... What do I feed it, then?”

 

Sniper looked at the baby squirrel, hummed again, then took out a small cloth from his pocket, scooping the little rodent in his hands. He gently pinched the skin. Both men noticed how the skin slowly returned to its original form after the pinch.

 

Scout furrowed a brow. That could've hurt the little guy! He knew Sniper knew what he was doing, but he still didn't want the squirrel to die!

 

Wait... why was he getting protective of it? It wasn't like he could keep it forever. Squirrels belonged in the wild, and it would probably run off and do squirrel things. Shit if he knew.

 

That didn't mean he didn't care about its well-being, though.

 

“What was that for?” Scout inquired

 

“Checkin' for dehydration,” Sniper answered, “Looks like that's th' case. We're gonna need Pedialyte. I remember me mum tellin' me that when we rescued a whole litter of bunnies.”

 

“Aight. How do we do that?”

 

Sniper sighed a bit, grumbling a bit to himself, “Damn... we'd need somethin' like an eye-dropper, but the doc's probably asleep.”

 

“Damn,” Scout repeated, then raised his brows then looked to Sniper, “Wait, you said we need a dropper?”

 

“Yeah. Somethin' real small like an eye dropper, so it doesn't drown in the stuff.”

 

“Snipes, wait... I think I can get ya one,” Scout's smile grew, “Py and Engie sometimes bake, and they use different sized droppers for stuff. I can bring some up for ya to see. What about the Pee... Pedi...?”

 

“Pedialyte?”

 

“Yeah, that.”

 

“We're gonna need the doc for that one.”

 

Scout huffed, furrowing his brow, “I don't know if he'll like me botherin' him at--” The runner looked at the time on the clock-- “Nine forty at night.”

 

“Tell ya what,” the marksman began, “You get the droppers while I stay wiv the baby and see which ones work. Then, _I_ go and talk to the doc while you watch 'em. If it's me, 'm sure he'll know it's somethin' serious.”

 

Scout thought about it, looking at the clock, the fatigued baby squirrel, then to Sniper.

 

“Y'know what?” the runner's contemplating frown turned into a lax smile, “That could work.”

 

* * *

 

 

Scout kept a close eye on the little rodent in the box, whose eyes were now open and observing the world around it. It turned its head, looking at everything of interest, but it started to stare at Scout more and more often. He could tell that the little guy was tired-- the squirrel's movements were sluggish and slow, though its eyes were wide and bright. It needed something to drink, and fast.

 

He hoped Sniper was coming back with the Pedia-Whatever-the-Name-Was.

 

He and the small rodent met eyes once again, Scout giving it a back-toothed grin. He slowly moved his hand to move the blanket over it, rubbing a bit for blood circulation. Sniper's orders.

 

“Hey there, lil' guy” Scout began, puffing his chest, “Don't worry, 'cause this guy is gonna be the best one you've ever met. My friend's a close second, though. Welcome to Fortress, this here's the RED base, and this is the room of the coolest member here-- me. Though my friend is pretty awesome, not gonna lie. He has his own van. You'll see him soon, pipsqueak.”

 

It was silent for a few heartbeats until Scout leaned forward slightly, laughing at the hilarity of it all. Talking to a small animal he just met, a _baby_ , at that. Hell, he even gave the little guy a _nickname_.

 

Maybe Sniper was rubbing off of him.

 

He saw the squirrel look at him again, and he felt a small pang in his chest. His smile only widened when it crawled over closer to him. He petted the little rodent with a finger, smiling wider.

 

This little guy.... it only had him, didn't he? Maybe it had the whole base to lean on, but no one else, not even its own ma... The pipsqueak was strong, _maybe_ even stronger than him.

 

Oh hell, he'll admit it-- he was attached to the little guy, but _only_ a little bit. Not even giving the little punk a nickname was going to make him fonder for it than he already was. Not a _bit_.

 

At least, that was what he was going to tell himself.

 

Sniper slowly opened the door, holding a small jar of liquid, “I gotta throw the doc a bone-- he's a pretty decent bloke when not experimentin' on us.”

 

Scout laughed at that, “Yeah. Somehow, I think Fortress gave him, I dunno... A change 'a heart? Three years later and he's actually tryin' to help us more than he is tryin' to test stuff on us. Still scary as hell, though.”

 

“Yeah... Medic has an icy glare when someone makes 'im mad. 'M lucky I haven't gotten one directed at me,” the marksman walked forward and crouched down simultaneously, kneeling next to Scout, “Is the lil' tot still kickin'?”

 

“He's doin' fine,” the runner smiled, soon knitting his brows together, “Not for long, though. He's getting' real tired and needs somethin' to drink, fast.”

 

Sniper nodded, taking off his hat and picking up the squirrel, still wrapped in the blanket, “I'll show ya how to feed 'em, just in case. This here's real tricky though, so I'll do it.”

 

Scout nodded, “Fine by me. Don't wanna drown him on accident.”

 

* * *

 

“And that's how ya do it,” Sniper concluded, turning his head to look towards the runner, “Think ya got it 'til the tot's old enough to leave?”

  
  
Scout's chest hurt a little at those last words, “Yeah, got it. Thanks.”

 

The marksman looked at him, staring almost. The runner guessed he showed the pain in his chest on his face. Or Sniper was able to read him like a book. Scout tilted his head, raising a confused brow.

 

“What?”

 

“Are you... getting' attached to the lil' guy, Roo?”

 

Scout guffawed, averting his eyes and crossing his arms, “What? Me, attached to that little pipsqueak? You're seein' things, Snipes.”

 

Sniper gave him a deadpan stare, raising an eyebrow. Scout stared back. The marksman's gaze was unmoving, even when gently placing the squirrel back into the box. Scout nearly broke eye contact to check on it, then let out a defeated sigh.

 

“Fine, I'll admit it,” he confessed, “I guess I'm likin' him more than I thought. I mean, he was left all alone out there, and who knows what coulda happened to his ma and all of 'em? All he's got... well, all he's got is us. No one deserves to be so alone, y'know? And... And I'd feel like a dick jus' leavin' him out there when he's old enough. No trees, no idea how to take care of himself. I don't want him dyin' on me.”

 

Sniper hummed and nodded to that, “That was kinda how Hoots was when I found 'im.”

 

Scout turned and tried to make his electric blue eyes as pleading as possible without looking too pathetic. He hoped it was working, since he could see the ghost of a smile on the marksman's face... or he was just imagining things.

 

The runner gingerly put his hand in the box, smiling wider when the rodent sniffed the grip tape on his hands then allowed him to pet its head, “I swear I'll take good care of him, Snipes. I know he's supposed to be wild, but like... Do ya think-?”

 

“Yeah, I think we're safe keepin' him.”

 

His heart skipped a beat and he looked up to the marksman, beaming, “Seriously?”

 

“I don't see why not. We've got doves, an owl, raccoons. I reckon a squirrel ain't too weird.”

 

“True... I'm sure another rodent on base won't be too bad.”

 

“Raccoons aren't rodents, Scout.”

 

“Anyways,” he turned to the little squirrel, “I'm gonna make sure you're gonna be safe and sound, little guy. Scout here's gonna take _good_ care a' ya.”

 

Sniper crossed his arms and smirked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“With the help of this guy too, I guess. That's Sniper. He's alright.”

 

“Careful, Roo. Or else for some mysterious reason, the tot may find some seeds in your trousers.”

 

Scout narrowed his eyes, smirking to the older man, “You wouldn't _dare_.”

 

Sniper held a finger to his lips, pointing to the box. Scout blinked. He looked down and noticed that the squirrel was still by his hand, fast asleep. The runner gently pulled his hand away from the rodent.

 

“Guess that's a sign, then,” Scout suggested, stretching, “I'll get outta your hair. Thanks for the help, Snipes. Seriously. I don't think I could've helped the lil' guy out without you.”

 

The marksman sheepishly tipped his hat, “Happy to help. If anythin', I should be gettin' outta _your_ hair. I'm in _your_ room.”

 

The runner chuckled at that, “You're funny, man. Ya never bother me. We should sleep, though.”

 

Sniper nodded. As soon as Scout opened the door, the men dropped their voices down to a whisper.

 

“Night Snipes.”

  
  
“Night, mate.”

 

“Thanks again.”

 

“Anytime.”

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Scout cheerfully ate his cereal, humming to Tom Jones. Pyro sat down next to him and started to stuff pancakes under their mask, with Hardhat sitting in front of the duo.

 

“Morning, Skeeter.”

 

“Mornin', Hardhat.”

 

“Any luck with the lil' critter last night?” the engineer inquired, brow furrowed under his goggles, “It was near sunset yesterday, last time I checked.”

 

Scout went to nod, stopped himself, then tilted his head side to side, “Sorta... The little guy's ma never came, so _I'm_ gonna keep him.”

 

He heard Pyro let out a delighted sound and clap, while Engie's smile grew brighter. Just as the small Texan was about to speak, a stranger plopped down in the seat next to them, slowly bringing a coffee mug to his lips.

 

“Hey Snipes,”Scout genuinely grinned to the marksman, “Fancy seein' _you_ here.”

 

“G'day.”

 

Engineer blinked, looking to him, “You usually eat breakfast in your camper out there. Everythin' okay, Slim?”

 

“Coffee machine broke.”

 

“Gotcha.”

 

“Oh, yeah,” Scout chirped, turning to the small Texan with a grin, “Snipes helped save the squirrel's life last night. Couldn't 've done it without him.”

 

The Australian went to reach for his hat, sighing when he realized it wasn't on his head. He just ran a hand through his brown tresses while Pyro let out a chuckle.

 

“'S too early in the mornin'...” he muttered, raising a brow and soon smirking back at the trio, “How's the tot doin', mate?”

 

“Good, good. He was bouncin' all over the place, eyes open and everythin'” Scout beamed, “I got him some water, but I was gonna ask ya if I should give 'im some milk or nuts or somethin'.”

 

“I'll go and check him out with ya.”

 

“Thanks, pally.”

 

“Speakin' of the lil' critter,” Engie piped up, sipping his glass of milk, “If ya need me to build a home for him or somethin', just stop by the garage, Skeeter.”

 

“Seriously? Thanks, man.” Scout lit up, smiling even wider, “I can see it, now... A mini penthouse-- No, no, a mini _tree_ house penthouse. And it'll look like a mansion. And in front of it in all gold letters is the beautiful name... Chucklenuts.”

 

Sniper jolted, then hunched over. Engineer guffawed and raised his brows, while Pyro went still, slowly looking towards Scout.

 

Sniper started coughing hard, patting his chest a few times while still coughing. That caught Scout off guard, and the runner busted up laughing along with Pyro. The firebug had their head in their arms, weakly pounding on the table with a fist. Scout leaned back so far that he nearly fell, making him hunch over and laugh even harder. In less than a minute, the two of them were silently shaking, foreheads glued to the edge of the long table.

 

Meanwhile, Engie was patting poor Sniper's back, letting out a sympathetic chuckle.

 

Once the worst of his coughing was done, Sniper looked up to the runner. Scout gained enough composure to sit up, wiping the tears from his eyes. He saw the marksman looking to him. He met the older man's eyes with an innocent grin, tilting his head.

 

“What?”

 

“Ya know the bloody answer to that one,” Sniper took a deep breath, escaping his coughing fit, “'Chucklenuts'? That's a bloody unique name if I ever heard one. Chuckle-...”

 

It was the marksman's turn to laugh. He started giggling silently, but soon he leaned back and laughed so hard it became silent. Pyro looked up, while Scout and Engineer just... stared at the marksman. They don't see Sniper in the base often, and little to no one has _ever_ seen him laugh more than just chuckling.

 

Scout felt a little smug. Out of everyone on base, it was _him_ that made the stoic Australian break down laughing. He puffed out his chest slightly and smiled.

 

It didn't last long, as Sniper quickly collected himself and got up, making his way to the mess hall sink.

 

“Hey, where ya going?” Scout inquired, huffing when the marksman didn't seem to hear him, “Snipes!”

 

“Where do ya think I'm goin'?” Sniper answered back, soon giving Scout a ghost of a smile, “I'm gonna run to the grocery store nearby so Chuckles doesn't dehydrate himself again or starve.”

 

Scout stood up and chugged the milk in his bowl, putting it down with spunk, “That's Chuckle _nuts_ , thank you very much. I'm comin' with ya once we're ready and stuff. He's with me, after all.”

 

Sniper nodded, “Sounds good, mate.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> WEEPS I tried... sorry if they're OOC. I'm not too confident in this one, but I tried!! I like the dialogue at least! I hope I didn't mess up their personalities.  
> I also tried to be accurate on how to care for an abandoned baby squirrel... I tried my best. I wrote most of this at 11pm or later so... yeah. I reread it more than once though, so hopefully it's good. >:"3c  
> I hope I can post a drabble about the AU I have soon.... I'm a little nervous to share lmao,,  
> Anyways! Stay cool in this summer heat!!  
> I hope ya'll enjoy it. *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧


End file.
